Several top Georgia Republicans have broken ranks from their party to deny accusations of voter fraud outright amid weeks of baseless claims from President Donald Trump and his allies.

What You Need To Know

  • A number of Georgia Republicans have come out against President Trump's claims of voter fraud 

  • On Tuesday, Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s Voting System Implementation Manager, called on Trump to stop fanning the flames of violence after a contractor for Dominion Voting Systems recently received death threats

  • Last week, Trump called Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger an "enemy of the people;" following Trump's attack, Raffensperger experienced an influx of threats 

  • Earlier Tuesday, Georgia’s Republican Lieutenant Governor told CNN that the misinformation being spread by the president and his allies is “alarming”

On Sunday, Trump said during an appearance on Fox News he was “ashamed” for endorsing Brian Kemp, the Republican governor of Georgia, after he lost in the state to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump added that Kemp has “done absolutely nothing” to question the state’s results, even as the state continues to investigate legitimate claims of voter fraud statewide. 

Last week, Trump called Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger an "enemy of the people" after the results of Georgia’s statewide audit of its paper ballots from the presidential election, which was completed on Nov. 19, upheld the results of the state’s election in favor of Joe Biden. On Monday, the president mused that Kemp should “overrule" the outcome of the election.

On Tuesday, a visibly shaken Gabriel Sterling — Georgia’s Voting System Implementation Manager — addressed the president directly, calling on Trump to stop fanning the flames of violence. After President Trump attacked Raffensperger, the lawmaker experienced an influx of threats, some of which promised violence against his wife. 

Sterling himself has added security around his home, he said Tuesday.

But the final straw for the lifelong Republican came after a contractor for Dominion Voting Systems — an electronic voting system that Trump frequently and incorrectly says is prone to fraud — received death threats, culminating in a noose being placed outside the worker’s home. 

"It's all gone too far. All of it,” Sterling said.

Sterling did not name the contractor, but described them as a “twenty-something tech" working for Dominion.

"Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language," he added. "Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions. This has to stop! We need you to step up and if you're going to take a position of leadership - show some."

Sterling called on the president to “stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence,” saying: “Someone is going to get hurt. Someone is going to get shot. Someone's going to get killed. And it's not right. It's not right." 

“It has to stop,” Sterling added, calling elections "the backbone of democracy."

"And all of you who have not said a damn word are complicit in this," he added. "It is not right. They have lost the moral high ground to claim that it is.”

Earlier Tuesday, Georgia’s Republican Lieutenant Governor joined his fellow lawmakers in disputing Trump’s allegations, saying the misinformation being spread by the president and his allies is “alarming." 

"What is alarming is the amount of misinformation that continues to flow. It's alarming to me," Duncan told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on Tuesday. "It's certainly disheartening to watch folks willing to kind of put their character and their morals out there just so they can spread a half truth or a lie in the efforts to maybe to flip an election ... That's not what democracy is all about."

Duncan and Sterling’s respective messages came a day after Secretary Raffensperger refuted the statements made by President Trump about the efficacy of his state’s voting security.

“There are those who are exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims, half-truths, misinformation, and frankly, they are misleading the president as well, apparently,” Raffensperger said, adding: “The great thing about our paper ballot system, it is audible, it is re-countable, and it can provide the voters the confident the outcomes are correct

"Upholding the law matters. Truth matters and your vote matters,” Raffensperger continued. “Anyone telling you to boycott an election is not on your side."